


I'm Sorry I Couldn't Save You

by supurriority



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Established Relationship, F/M, Heavy Angst, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-18 00:24:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21518893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supurriority/pseuds/supurriority
Summary: Kaede manages to talk Shuichi into going on a hike for her birthday. Things don't exactly go as planned.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 33





	I'm Sorry I Couldn't Save You

**Author's Note:**

> I'm awful at writing summaries, but this was a request from Tumblr! They wanted a scenario with Shuichi dying and Kaede trying (and failing) to save him, bonus points if she indirectly caused it.

Shuichi had never really been a fan of hiking. It was always too hot, or there were too many bugs, or he got tired too fast, or some imagined predator would scare him back to civilization. His mind was always able to find some excuse to turn back, to return to the cool air and safety of their shared apartment.

Kaede, however, was stubborn as a mule and a master at talking him into situations he’d rather have no part in. _It’s my birthday,_ she’d begged, doe-eyed and pouting, _I’ve always wanted to go hiking. I don’t have anyone else to go with._ That last bit was a lie, but he’d caved in to her demands anyways. He never could resist her.

That was how he’d ended up at a nearby trail, hat settled firmly on his head and a rucksack full of supplies on his back. Kaede sported a triumphant grin, squeezing his (admittedly sweaty) hand as they prepared to start their trek.

“Come on, Shuichi, this’ll be fun,” she insists, starting to tug him along. Although embarrassed at the contact, he doesn’t fight it, plodding alongside her with all the enthusiasm of a wet dish rag.

“I’m sure it will be,” he replies. He’s not sure if it’s to appease her or to reassure himself, but it sounds like the right thing to say either way. She seems satisfied with the response, and they fall into a steady pace as they make their way up the trail.

The atmosphere around them is calm, peaceful, quiet aside from the chirping of birds and Kaede’s gentle humming. She looks so content, and suddenly Shuichi doesn’t care that it’s too bright outside, that it’s too hot under his hat, that the pack is getting heavy on his back, that they’re slowly getting farther from the nearest town. Kaede is joyful and practically bouncing on her feet and still _holding his hand,_ and that’s all he can bring himself to care about.

He listens as she points out the birds and squirrels that cross their path, the flowers she thinks are pretty, the trees she wishes she could climb. Occasionally, she pulls him to the side to examine a butterfly or a pretty beetle, and though he doesn’t want to be out longer than they have to, he doesn’t mind the little pauses, the moments where she grips his hand just a little tighter as she pulls him to her side.

They reach the marked halfway point, and Kaede pauses to awe at the beautiful valley below them. She releases his hand, and Shuichi doesn’t tell her that he misses the warmth as he watches her pull out her phone. She snaps a few photos of the view, then turns to him with a bright grin.

“Here, let me take your picture.”

The words throw him off guard, and he’s left stammering for a response. She giggles, reddening his cheeks further.

“Come on, please? I promise I won’t post it, I just want a picture of you,” she pleads, batting her lashes in a way she knows he’ll give in to. And he does, sighing in resignation as he averts his gaze.

“Alright, fine.” His voice wavers against his wishes, but Kaede doesn’t seem to care, perking up immediately with a little squeal of joy.

“Yay, thank you! Okay, I guess you should stand here?” She guides him closer to the edge of the path, squeezing his arm reassuringly when she notices his apprehensive gaze.

“Don’t worry, you’re fine, just don’t move too far back.” She takes a step back towards the path, studying him. Lifting her phone, she instructs him to smile. He obliges, tipping his hat back and flashing a shy grin. He feels a bit awkward, and he hates having his picture taken, but maybe he doesn’t mind as long as she’s the one behind the camera.

“Okay,” she says when she’s finished, lowering the device and skipping towards him, “now one of us!” She slides into place beside him, casually throwing an arm around his shoulder and pulling him against her side. His mind freezes momentarily, and he can feel his face heating up at the sudden close proximity. He forces his thoughts back to the present moment just as she raises her phone, trying to find a good angle. She grins, and she doesn’t even need to remind him this time as he flashes the camera a sheepish smile. She snaps a few pictures and then lowers the phone. Quickly, she presses a chaste kiss to his cheek before pulling away.

He feels his entire chest heat up, breath catching in his throat. The sudden release of his shoulders causes him to stumble, and he tries to find footing behind him.

He doesn’t have time to react. His heart drops to his stomach as his foot finds nothing but air. He blindly reaches out for something, anything, to hold on to, but he’s left flailing wildly as he falls backwards.

The first impact as he falls forces a strangled yelp from his throat, tears burning his eyes as pain shoots through his back to his extremities. The next impact hurts even more, and so it continues, each one stinging more than the last until he finally blacks out.

* * *

The first thing he registers when he wakes up is pain. His whole body burns with it, and the sudden force of it all causes him to gasp. The motion sends a stabbing pain through his chest, and he lets out a low whine, his breathing shallow.

He doesn’t even attempt to open his eyes until he hears a frantic voice crying his name, accompanied by footsteps and the skidding of rocks. The sound is unfocused, fuzzy, and he tries to push back the pounding of his skull as he attempts to open his eyes. The sunlight stings, and he squints at his surroundings as he tries to take them in.

He’s laying mostly on his side, facing a wall of rock and dirt. If he shifts his gaze a bit, he can see bushes and other small plants. Something on his head is warm. He starts to move his head, and his vision darkens as the pain returns tenfold. He whines, immediately squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to make it stop.

The whine is quickly followed by the same voice repeating his name, more urgently this time. He can’t seem to remember who it is, but it’s so familiar. He responds immediately to the voice, letting out a high whimper. The footsteps speed up, and through the haze of pain he can hear them growing closer.

“Shuichi? Oh my god, Shuichi!” The footsteps skid to a halt behind him, and he can hear how heavy her breathing is. He winces as a gentle hand is placed on his shoulder, a soft noise rising from him.

“Shuichi, can you hear me?” He groans in response, his mouth unable to form a proper response. He hears what is either a sigh or a sob, but his fuzzy mind can’t figure out which. “Oh thank god, you’re awake, you’re alive, you’re-” The words turn into a choked sob.

“I’m gonna take off the bag and turn you over, okay?” The voice is shaky but kind, and he lets out a small sound in acknowledgement. He feels the pressure on his shoulders being relieved, the weight against his back disappearing. The hand that had been on him slips to his upper back, just below the base of his neck, and the other moves to the front of his shoulder, applying a gentle pressure as she rolls him onto his back.

The movement sends a sharp pain through his chest, and the strangled gasp that escapes his throat quickly turns into a sob. He can hear the voice apologizing repeatedly, smoothing their hand over his shoulder in an attempt to soothe him. One hand reaches up, tenderly brushing the hair from his face. It feels sticky, and he can’t think well enough to wonder why.

“Oh, Shuichi, I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry,” the voice sobs. The hand presses against his cheek - gently, as if terrified to hurt him further. He forces himself to breathe shakily through the pain, wishing it would subside quicker. As soon as it’s back at a manageable level, he cracks one eye open, squinting at the light before adding another.

It takes a moment for his brain to realize who the girl above him is, and he doesn’t even register the whimper slipping past his lips.

“Kaede-” His voice is pitiful, pleading. Pleading for what? For her to help him? For her to take his pain away? Her thumb rubs his cheek, wiping away the tears that are starting to build.

“I know, I know, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” The hands pull away as she sits back, turning her attention to their bag. “I’m gonna call for help, okay? Just hang in there. You’ll be okay, okay?”

He closes his eyes, listening to her search for her phone. He breathes shallowly through the pain, his chest burning with each inhale and exhale.

After a few moments, he hears a groan. Another moment passes, followed by a frustrated cry. He can hear Kaede’s breathing quicken, her voice shaking as she holds back tears.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, this can’t be happening……” Shuichi pries his eyes open, glancing over at his companion. She’s frantic, pulling at her hair with one hand as the other holds her phone. She’s biting her lip, tears sliding down her cheeks, her face flushed with panic and frustration. The cycle of quiet and panic continues until she’s at her breaking point, letting out a sharp cry as she throws her phone in the bag. She hangs her head, her hands grasping tightly at her hair, allowing herself to fall apart for a moment.

It hurts him to watch, especially knowing that he can’t move to comfort her. His voice is low and strained as he speaks her name, but it makes her jolt noticeably, her head shooting up to look at him. Guilt washes over her features, and she quickly moves over to his side to soothe him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, there’s no signal down here,” she sobs. Her hand rubs his shoulder in a feeble attempt to calm him, but that doesn’t stop the panic that shoots through him.

No signal. No help. He’s going to die here, scared and hurting and-

He’s jolted from his thoughts as she slips her hand behind his shoulder. She’s wiped the tears from her face, and she looks like she’s trying hard to stay strong.

“Shuichi, you’re going to have to move. I’m going to get us back to the trail and out of here, okay? This is going to hurt, but I can’t call for help and I’m not leaving you here alone.” She pauses, allowing him to take in her words. Her hand smooths over his shoulder, hoping to keep him calm. “I’m going to start sitting you up, okay?” She waits for him to give her a pained nod, then starts to move. She shifts towards his head, both of her hands moving to his shoulders. Slowly, trying to be as gentle as possible, she starts to lift his torso, moving him to a seated position.

If he was hurting before, he can’t even fathom what threshold of pain he just crossed. His chest burns, the pain shooting through his body as he gasps for breath. Kaede doesn’t move her hands from his shoulders even after he’s sitting, rubbing her thumbs over the cloth of his shirt and muttering reassurances. Once his breathing becomes less ragged, she shifts.

“We’re gonna try to stand, okay?” Shuichi feels panic run through him, knowing how much this will hurt. He knows he doesn’t have another choice, though. He doesn’t want to die here. He feels himself nod.

Kaede is quiet for a moment, and one hand disappears from his shoulder. He hears the rustling of their bag, and he figures Kaede has put it on herself. After a moment, the hand returns to his shoulders, gently pressing against him.

“Ready?” He forces himself to nod, and he feels her arms slip under his armpits, starting to lift him up. It strains the ache in his ribs, and he instinctively cries out, tears burning in his eyes.

“I know,” she says, trying to soothe him. “I know, I know, I’m sorry.” She remains steady and strong behind him, lifting him to his feet. As soon as he’s mostly upright, she wraps one arm around him, the other hand guiding his arm around her shoulders. He’s gasping for breath, sobbing through the pain in his ribs. It’s getting harder and harder to breathe, and the realization of this causes panic to shoot down his spine. His shallow breathing grows rapid, and the tears begin to fall, dampening his shirt and the dirt below him. Kaede’s free hand finds his shirt, pressing against him to try and soothe his panic.

“Kae- I can’t- I can-” He hardly manages to push out the words before a cough bubbles up his throat. The force of it burns his chest and his throat, and he sobs as he inhales. Another one tears at his throat, and they continue to come until he can hardly catch a breath between them. He vaguely registers Kaede starting to panic, and he feels himself being lowered back to the ground. The pain shoots back through him as he sits, his back propped up against the wall of rock. Once he’s settled, Kaede removes her bag, digging around before pulling out a bottle of water.

“Hey, okay, breathe, Shuichi, can you do that? Just breathe for me.” He feels a hand on him, rubbing his shoulder gently. He tries to do as instructed, forcing back the rising coughs and drawing in a shaky breath. Light coughing pushes its way through as he exhales, but it starts to calm down enough that breathing doesn’t feel like a fight. He’s exhausted now, though, the exertion taking whatever energy he might’ve had. He becomes acutely aware of the taste of iron on his tongue.

“Here, drink some of this, okay?” He feels the rim of the bottle pressing against his lips, and he parts them, swallowing the water that pours out as Kaede tips the bottle back. The cool liquid helps soothe his throat some, but it’s not long before he coughs again, spilling some on his shirt. Kaede is quick to pull the bottle away, screwing the lid back on and putting it back in the bag. Shuichi gazes at her through teary eyes, his vision becoming fuzzy. Kaede is watching him, looking worried and scared and thoughtful, and he accepts the moment of silence as she thinks.

“I’m gonna go back up the trail,” she says slowly, sounding for the first time uncertain with her decision, “and see if I can catch a signal up there. You stay here and rest, okay?” He feels himself nodding slowly, though the movement hardly registers. His eyelids flutter.

“I’ll be right back, okay? I won’t be long. Just hang in there for me.” Her hand presses gently against his shoulder, soothing and warm. He wishes she didn’t have to go.

“I’m going to leave this here. Just in case you need anything from it.” He vaguely registers a weight against his side, and he figures it’s their bag.

A hand brushes his hair from his face, and soft lips press against his forehead. He’d be embarrassed if he weren’t about to pass out.

“I love you, Shuichi. You’ll be okay. Just hang in there.” Her voice is distant, foggy, and he exhales slowly as his eyes fall shut. His ribs still ache, pain hitting him with every shallow breath, but her words bring enough warmth to soothe him momentarily.

And just like that, her warmth is gone, her footsteps retreating as she runs back towards the trail. He feels himself falling, darkness clouding his thoughts, until he falls unconscious once more.

* * *

When Kaede finally returns, paramedics in tow, she’s quick to rush to his side, her eyes scanning over him to make sure he’s okay. She glances over the blood dried on his head, the red staining his right side, the scrapes and bruises decorating his arms and legs.

The last thing she notices is how still his chest is. Her heart drops, and her whole body goes cold. Without thinking, her hands find his shoulders, squeezing them worriedly, before sliding up to his cheeks. She cups his face, tears blurring her vision as she sobs, pleading with him to wake up, to open his eyes, to do anything at all.

Choked sobs turn into hysterical crying as an EMT pulls her away, giving the other paramedics room to examine the bloodied boy. Her chest feels so tight that she thinks she’s going to burst, and she screams as if that’s going to relieve the pressure. She can’t bear to think that Shuichi, her Shuichi, is gone, _dead_ , that she’d left him to suffer his painful fate alone.

That final thought is what breaks her. _He died alone._ No one there to comfort him, to hold his hand, to wipe his tears and hold him close as he passed.

She was supposed to be there for him through thick and thin, through sickness and in health. And she’d failed him.

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone curious, Shuichi's cause of death was a punctured lung caused by broken ribs! I tried to keep that in mind while I was writing to make sure he reacted accordingly. I'm not a human doctor, so I hope this isn't too inaccurate,,,


End file.
